Mysterious Scratches Appear on Renaissance Paintings at the National Gallery

Curatorial staff at the National Gallery in London recently discovered scratches on two sixteenth-century paintings in Â its collection. The marks, which are believed to have been caused by fingernails or a ring, were described as minor. However, the mysterious nature of how they appeared has raised concerns about recent changes to the institution’s security program. Last year, a private security company was brought in to guard the museum’s illustrious collection—a cost-cutting measure that continues to draw ire.